In the summer of 2014, just two weeks after celebrating her graduation from Malcolm X Shabazz High School, 17-year-old Cheyanne Bond was killed in Newark, New Jersey. A former cheerleader with plans to study nursing at Union County College, her future was tragically cut short on the evening of June 29th. Bond, a female resident of nearby Irvington, was walking with her ex-boyfriend near West Side Park on South 17th Street when they were confronted by two armed individuals.
The assailants
were attempting to rob the pair of an iPhone. During the encounter, both Bond and her companion were shot. While her ex-boyfriend survived his injuries, Bond was fatally wounded. Her uncle later described the horrific event, stating that his niece was forced to her knees before being shot in the head in what he termed an 'execution style' killing. The funds her family had carefully saved for her college education were instead used to cover the costs of her funeral.
In the weeks that followed, the investigation led authorities to a suspect. On August 4, 2014, police arrested 31-year-old Andre Field of Irvington, charging him with murder, robbery, and weapons offenses. At the time, prosecutors announced that a second suspect was still at large. However, the case took another turn nearly a year later. On May 6, 2015, the charges against Field were administratively dismissed without prejudice.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office indicated that such a dismissal can occur due to insufficient credible evidence, but that the charges could be reinstated in the future. No other arrests have been announced in connection with the murder. The investigation into the death of Cheyanne Bond is considered ongoing, leaving a case that once had a primary suspect open and unresolved.
